Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-25
Monday. July 25. 1887.
HE LAST sTAGK-DRIvEfk GONE.

THE LAST sTAGE-DRHVEk GONE. uaatb orJames Tudor .Ta1cott-Inel- dents of His Drives Through Hart- ford.
 James Tudor Talcott known far and near
 throughout this section of the country during
 the old stage coach days of travelling as
 ''Tude" Talcott, died at Vernon Wednesday night at the age of "A, and was buried Fri
 day afternoon in the old burying ground near
 Dobsonville, not quarter of mile from the
 line of his old stage route between Hartford
 and Boston, that he travelled over so many
 times half century ago. When he was
 boy all the ,teaming between this city and
 Boston was done by two four horse teams
 The teams were owned by MT. Johnson and
 MT. Pickett and Tudor, at times, worked for
 these men. At the age of 21 Tudor began
 driving stage. His route was from this city
 to Boston, 96 miles. The stage left here at D
 o'clock in the morning, and going through
 Holland reached Worcester in time for din
 nsr, and the passengers took supper in Bos-
 ton early in the evening. The usual running
 time was ten hours. He made the return
 trip the next day. This was way
 back in the thirtiss, and he contin-
 ued on this route for several years, never
 missing trip during his time of service.
 Years later he drove from this city to Albany,
 which is the same distance as from here to
 Boston, but much more hilly route. The running time was also the same, ten hours, and it was srunning'' time in more senses than one. At Wadsworths hotel, out on Albany avenue, two extra horses were put on making six in all, and they would trot at a good pace right up over Talcott mountain. No stage horses walked in those days.
 | H., 6OrNn he tween here and New Haven, but when the railroad was opened it put an end to that route. The story of his experiences would
 fill book, but there are one or two incidents that have a local interest. On one of his return trips from Boston he drove upon the East Hartford bridge about eight o'clock in the evening The water had been so high all day the bridge was in danger of being swept away at any time, and as the stage with it's eight passengers shut up inside en- tered the black hole the bridge began to move, and as the rear wheels of the stage passed over them plank after plank and span after span was swept away in the dark ness down the river. It can well be lmag- ined he drove his hoises contrary to law across that bridge faster than walk.
 On another occasion when he was on | he New Haven route he left this city at the reg ular time at 10 o'clock one night. It had been raining great guns all day end his only passenger was old Squire Stearns of Spring field, who was on his way to New York with several thousand dollars in bank notes in his possession. The inside of the coach was filled with mail bags, leaving only room on one seat for the squire. They reached 'tMad" river, just this side of Berlin Center, about midnight, and as they were crossing the bridge they heard the roar of great tor rent coming and the next instant the four horses, stage coach and all were swept down the stream in the dark in a struggling mass together. Two new mill dams up the stream had burst and came down just in time to strike the stage. Crawl ing down upon the pole Tudor cut the traces and freed the horses and then he and the squire, after struggling about in the water up to their necks and buffeting with floating logs and lumber, finally got out upon solid ground They went up to the hotel for help and came back with lanterns. The wheel horses got out of the stream without much trouble, but it was long while before the leaders were found. They were down the stream quite ways held by the reins, which had caught around log. The next morning the coach was found down in the meadow about quarter of mile, right side up and one light still burning. After few hours delay the trip was resumed, the only damage to speak of being done to the squire's bank notes, which were thoroughly soaked. The cold that Tudor caught at that time resulted in a severe fit of sickness and he soon after gave up stage driving for good. He has made his home for many years in Vernon, living by himself most of the time. His death proba- blv removes the last of the old stage drivers who were of so much interest to the travel ing public half a century ago.-Hartford Post.